Bortmes

Cecil E. Bortmes, 88, of Fairview died at 6:30 a.m. Thursday in the Chicora Medical Center following a brief illness.

He was born in Karns City, May 4, 1921, the son of the late Harry Bortmes and the late Ella Kaylor Bortmes.

A veteran of the U.S. Army, Mr. Bortmes served his country from Oct. 27, 1942, to July 3, 1943. He served with the 8th Division in the 121st Infantry, achieving the rank of private.

Following his discharge from the military service, he became employed by Witco, now Sonneborn, in Petrolia, where worked for 37 years from Aug. 29, 1949, to July 31, 1986. He worked in the boiler house.

He joined the Moose Lodge in 1947, where he attained the 3rd degree fellowship.

An avid and well-known ballplayer, Mr. Bortmes played ball for the K&R in Chicora in the 1970s. He then joined the Chicora Moose League, and in 1986, when he was 65 years old, he pitched a no-hitter for the Moose Lodge. He played ball until he was 70 years old

He was a life member of the Petrolia Volunteer Fire Department.

Surviving are two daughters, Jill Heckman and her husband, David, of North Huntingdon and Mara Bailey and her husband, Bill, of Palm Bay, Fla.; two sons, David Bortmes of Karns City and James Bortmes and his wife, Lynn, of Karns City; nine grandchildren, Rhonda, Leigh Ann, David, Wendy, Stefan, Aaron, Colleen, Laura and Jessica; seven great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Josephine Rob of Karns City; and several nieces and nephews.

He married Margie V. Early Bortmes in 1941; she died Nov. 5, 2004. He also was preceded in death by two children who were twins and a brother.

<B>BORTMES</B> — Friends of Cecil E. Bortmes, who died Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009, will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday and from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the <B>STEIGHNER FUNERAL HOME</B>, 111 E. Slippery Rock and Main streets in Chicora. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at the funeral home with the Rev. Kenneth McDeavitt, pastor of the New Hope Baptist Church, Saxonburg, officiating. Burial will follow in Sherrett Cemetery.Members of the Chicora Moose Lodge will conduct memorial services at 7 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.Full military honors will be conducted Monday at the funeral home by the Chicora VFW, the Chicora American Legion and the 99th Readiness Command from Coraopolis.For more information, directions and to offer condolences, go to www.steighnerfuneralhome.com.